The Texas Rangers have optioned right-handed pitching prospect Jack Leiter to Triple-A Round Rock on Friday and called up No. 9 prospect Owen White from Round Rock in a corresponding move. Leiter made his major-league debut on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers and didn't do so well, allowing seven runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out three in 3 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old wasn't fooling many hitters and allowed a lot of hard contact in his first taste of big-league hitters. He'll surely be back at some point in 2024, but for now will head back to the farm to hone his craft. White, 24, gave up five earned runs in four relief innings in his major-league debut in 2023. It's unclear what role the Rangers plan on having him fill in his first call-up of 2024.

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Washington Nationals first baseman/outfielder Joey Gallo and third baseman Nick Senzel are both out of the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Houston Astros. Joey Meneses is playing first base and batting sixth, while Ildemaro Vargas is at third base and hitting ninth against Astros right-hander Justin Verlander, who is making his 2024 debut after dealing with a right-shoulder injury this spring. Gallo started each of the team's previous 14 games and could use a break after hitting just .170 with three home runs to begin the year. Senzel began the year on the injured list and has gone 2-for-11 with a walk and three strikeouts in his first three games of the year. Meneses and Vargas have gone hitless against Verlander in their careers in just five combined at-bats.

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Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (back) has returned from his back injury and is playing third base while hitting third on Friday in the series opener against the Boston Red Sox and right-hander Brayan Bello. Hayes is back in the lineup after missing the last two games with lower-back tightness. It obviously wasn't a serious issue for the 27-year-old, who will now look to get on track at the plate after an off day on Thursday. Hayes has hit .277 (18-for-65) in the early going but has yet to clear the fences and went 3-for-17 with five walks and six strikeouts in the previous five games before his back injury. Hayes has never faced Bello in his career.

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Los Angeles Angels infielder Brandon Drury (hamstring) is back in the starting lineup on Friday against the Cincinnati Reds, serving as the designated hitter and batting fifth in the order. Luis Rengifo remains at second base and is batting seventh for the Halos. Drury missed the team's last three games with left-hamstring tightness but is back in action against his former team, the Reds. It's a good place for Drury to come alive with the bat in a hitter-friendly environment. So far in 2024 in his first 55 at-bats, Drury has been cold, picking up only 11 hits for a .200 batting average while hitting one home run, driving in three and scoring five runs. The Reds currently don't have a starter listed for Friday's contest yet.

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The Colorado Rockies announced on Friday that they placed left-hander Kyle Freeland (elbow) on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 16) with a left-elbow strain and recalled right-hander Noah Davis from Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move. Freeland injured his right, non-throwing shoulder on a slide into home plate as a pinch-runner earlier this week but is now dealing with a left-elbow injury. The 30-year-old southpaw could be out longer than just two weeks, depending on the exact nature of his elbow injury. It's unclear who will take Freeland's spot in the starting rotation, but it could be Davis. Freeland was scheduled to make his next start on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners. After a 13.21 ERA with eight walks and nine K's in his first four starts, fantasy managers in mixed leagues can drop him for now.

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New York Yankees infielder DJ LeMahieu (foot) said after undergoing an MRI exam on Thursday, doctors don't yet feel comfortable sending him on a minor-league rehab assignment. The hope is later this week he can start playing in games. When the 35-year-old is finally cleared, he's expected to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset. LeMahieu has yet to make his 2024 MLB debut with the Yankees after initially being expected to open the year as the team's regular third baseman. Manager Aaron Boone said that next Tuesday is now the target date for LeMahieu to begin his rehab assignment. Oswaldo Cabrera is starting at the hot corner for the Yankees on Friday against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays and left-hander Tyler Alexander.

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The Cincinnati Reds claimed infielder Livan Soto off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles on Friday and optioned him to Triple-A Louisville. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Reds transferred right-hander Tejay Antone (elbow) to the 60-day injured list. Soto will join his third team of the year after the Orioles designated him for assignment earlier this week. The 23-year-old Venezuelan infielder made his major-league debut in 2022 with the Los Angeles Angels and has hit .375/.414/.531 with a .946 OPS, one home run, nine RBI and a stolen base in just 22 games played the last two seasons in Anaheim. He has a .780 OPS in 32 at-bats this year for Triple-A Norfolk and will now head to Louisville to give the Reds some extra infield depth.

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Top Toronto Blue Jays prospect Ricky Tiedemann (elbow) underwent an MRI exam on Thursday after he experienced left-elbow discomfort, which led to his placement on the seven-day injured list with Triple-A Buffalo earlier this week. The Blue Jays are still waiting to hear from doctors. The oft-injured 21-year-old left-hander is now shut down in the minors and could be facing an extended absence. Tiedemann threw only 44 innings in the minors last year due to shoulder and biceps issues, so it's pretty concerning that their top prospect is dealing with another arm injury. Depending on how long Tiedemann is out with his latest injury, there's certainly a chance we won't see him make his major-league debut until 2025.

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Cincinnati Reds first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand (illness) isn't feeling well enough to return to the starting lineup for the series opener on Friday against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. Spencer Steer will make another start at first base and hit in the two-hole, with Santiago Espinal playing third base and batting eighth against Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson. Along with CEH, Jeimer Candelario will also miss another game while being under the weather. Both Encarnacion-Strand and Candelario should be considered day-to-day. Check back on Saturday to see if they can return to action for the second game of the series against the Halos. Steer will be an intriguing DFS play against a left-hander on Friday after starting the year hitting .302 (19-for-63) with three home runs, 18 RBI and three stolen bases.

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Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (knee) is not in the starting lineup for Friday's series opener against the hosting Pittsburgh Pirates. The 27-year-old went for an MRI on his knee after leaving Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Guardians with discomfort but the test revealed nothing more than bone bruise. He is not expected to require a stint on the injured list. It's been a sluggish start to the season for the star third baseman who is hitting just .188 but also has two homers and a healthy 15.5% BB% across 58 trips to the plate. Fantasy manager should check back daily to see when Devers is able to return to the lineup.

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The Oakland A's have activated Brent Rooker (abdomen) from the injured list and have optioned 22-year-old infielder Darell Hernaiz to Triple-A Las Vegas. Despite breaking out with 30 home runs in the 2023 season, Rooker was not being used as an everyday outfielder to begin the season. He has hit just .200 on his young season but has still clubbed a pair of home runs across his first eight games of the campaign. Rooker will likely see consistent playing time upon his return but the A's outfield has gotten more crowded with his return and the promotion of the hot-hitting Esteury Ruiz from Triple-A. The team also has Seth Brown, JJ Bleday, and Lawrence Butler roaming the outfield.

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Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing when he takes on the visiting Texas Rangers on Friday. The veteran was touched up for five earned runs on six hits, including a homer, while walking three against seven strikeouts across seven innings in a loss to the Marlins his last time out. Despite the tough outing, Sale has been quit good early on in his Braves tenure. While his ERA has risen to 4.58, he also sports a 2.91 xFIP, 3.09 SIERA, and a healthy 21.1% K-BB% through his first three starts with Atlanta. He remains a quality fantasy asset whose injury woes are seemingly behind him.

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Cincinnati Reds corner infielder Jeimer Candelario remains out of the lineup on Friday versus the visiting Los Angeles Angels due to an illness. The veteran was scratched from Tuesday's lineup before sitting out Wednesday's series finale against the Seattle Mariners. Santiago Espinal will once again take over duties at the hot corner while hitting eighth against Angels left-hander Tyler Anderson. The 30-year-old does have a pair of homers on the young season but is also hitting just .190 with a 31.3% K% across his first 64 plate appearances in a Reds uniform. He set career highs with 22 home runs and eight stolen bases across 140 games between the Nationals and Cubs last season.

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Texas Rangers left-hander Andrew Heaney will be looking to get deeper into Friday's contest against the hosting Atlanta Braves. The veteran went just 3 2/3 innings and threw 79 pitches in that time in his last start at Houston, allowing two earned runs and four walks in that time. Heaney has pitched just 12 innings through his first three starts, maxing out at 4 2/3 frames in his first start of the season against Tampa Bay. The 32-year-old has been roughed up for a 6.75 ERA on the young season and sports a tiny 5.1% K-BB%, as well. Heaney is in danger of losing his rotation spot with Max Scherzer likely returning in May while the club also recently called up right-hander Jack Leiter who started Thursday's game against the Tigers.

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Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson will hit out of the cleanup spot for the first time this season on Friday against the Angels and left-hander Tyler Anderson. The backstop has hit all over the lineup this season with his most common spot in the lineup coming out of the nine-hole. It's been a slow start for the 27-year-old at the dish this season following a down season in the 2023 campaign. Stephenson is hitting just .214 with one homer and a .640 OPS across his first 46 plate appearances of the campaign. The Reds enter a three-game set with the Angels sporting a 9-9 record, good for fourth place in the NL Central.

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Chicago Cubs left-hander Justin Steele (hamstring) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session on Sunday, and the next steps after that could be a minor-league rehab assignment if he can avoid a setback with his hammy on Sunday. The 28-year-old southpaw suffered a left-hamstring strain on Opening Day and was forced to the injured list. However, he appears to be making good progress and could return to the Cubs' starting rotation after a rehab start or two in the minors. The former fifth-rounder in 2014 was a first-time All-Star in 2023 by going 16-5 with a 3.06 ERA (3.02 FIP) and 1.17 WHIP with 36 walks and a career-high 176 strikeouts in 173 1/3 frames over his 30 starts. Steele should be stashed in an IL spot by fantasy managers in all leagues.

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Chicago Cubs infielder Patrick Wisdom is making his 2024 debut on Friday against the visiting Miami Marlins and left-hander A.J. Puk, starting in right field and batting second in the batting order. Wisdom was activated from the injured list on Thursday but had to wait to make his season debut on Friday after Thursday's contest against the Fish was postponed due to inclement weather. The 32-year-old has a prime lineup spot and will be hoping to make an immediate impact now that he's back in the big leagues. Wisdom is more of a DFS play against lefties than an asset in single-year fantasy leagues, as he's most likely only going to start for the Cubs when they face southpaws. In his career, Wisdom has an .813 OPS against lefties. He's never faced Puk in his career.

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Cincinnati Reds right-hander Ian Gibaut (forearm), who was nearing a return from the 15-day injured list, is dealing with renewed forearm discomfort and has had his timeline to return pushed back. Gibaut will now take a little break before trying to resume a minor-league rehab assignment. The 30-year-old reliever has no timetable to return and could be looking at surgery, which would almost certainly end his 2024 season, if he can't get past the forearm pain. The former 11th-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015 out of Tulane had a nice 3.33 ERA (4.07 FIP), a 1.28 WHIP, a career-high three saves, 28 walks and a career-high 69 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings over 74 relief outings for the Reds in 2023 as a trusted high-leverage reliever out of the bullpen.

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Chicago Cubs first baseman Michael Busch and catcher Yan Gomes are not in the starting lineup on Friday against the visiting Miami Marlins and left-hander A.J. Puk. Garrett Cooper is playing first base and batting seventh in the lineup, while Miguel Amaya is doing the catching and batting in the nine-hole against Puk. Busch had a streak of five straight games with a home run come to an end this week and he's hitting a strong .317 (19-for-60) overall with six total long balls, 13 RBI and 10 runs scored to start his first year in Chicago. He's hit just .167 (4-for-24) and has yet to homer against a left-hander in his career, though, so he'll likely occasionally be rested against lefties this year. Cooper has never faced Puk in his career, while Amaya has a hit and RBI in his only career at-bat against the southpaw.

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Miami Marlins right-hander Roddery Munoz will be called up from Triple-A Jacksonville on Saturday as the team's 27th man and is expected to start one of the games of the doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs after the contest on Thursday was postponed due to inclement weather. It will be Munoz's major-league debut. The 24-year-old was acquired in a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the offseason. He should be ignored as a streamer by fantasy managers in all formats after beginning the 2024 season at Jacksonville by giving up 14 runs (13 earned) on 10 hits (three home runs) while walking 12 and striking out seven in 10 2/3 innings over three appearances (two starts). Munoz will surely be sent back to the farm after his big-league debut on Saturday.

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